Every year I participate in a
special effort called the New Testament Challenge
sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages
Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the
entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done
this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As
part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading
for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this
blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.
I continued
with my “catch-up” today.
Day 26 – Romans 1-8
Saint Paul
couldn’t make it any clearer for us. Our new life in Christ shouldn’t be a
slave to our former passions, but united to a Godly life free of sin. Of
course, since we are never truly without
sin, obviously Saint Paul is talking about the attempt to live a sinless
life as he said.
Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not!
But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through
what is good, so that sin
through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the
law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to
do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I
will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it
is no longer I who do it, but sin
that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good
dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I
will to do, I do not do; but
the evil I will not to do, that
I practice. Now if I do what I will not to
do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present
with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God
according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God –
through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of
God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
(Romans 7.13-25)
How can we
give up so easily? It seems like we throw in the towel when it comes to our
sinful passions. But Saint Paul’s advice is to challenge and comfort us at the
same time. Since God came, “while we were yet still sinners” and we each are warring
against sin not always successfully, then we should be comforted to know that
God will forgive us. He already HAS forgiven us if we accept His forgiveness. And
since He has forgiveness us, how can we not try harder to live as He desires
for us to live? I’m sure you feel this same battle in your life, so we can all
join Saint Paul’s words of praise, “I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Yes indeed.
Day 27 – Romans 9-16
Building on
his advice to live a new life in Christ, Saint Paul reminds us that if we fail
to live as we should, we will face the same judgment as the Jews. As they
witnessed the Church being taken away from the, we will see the Church depart
from us, although in actuality it will WE who have departed from the Church. We
shouldn’t be so smug that we are members of the Church.
You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might
be grafted in.” Well said. Because
of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty,
but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you
either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell,
severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also,
if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to
graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by
nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how
much more will these, who are natural
branches, be grafted into their
own olive tree? (Romans 11-19-24)
I find this
to be a problem in many “cradle” Orthodox raised in the Faith. As the Jews felt
certain superiority because they were the “chosen ones” and the People of God,
they failed to understand His intent to save the world. Likewise since we are
already comfortable inside the Church as members, we often forget that our
mission is to continue Christ’s saving work. But if we’re not careful, we will
(as today’s Gospel reading during Liturgy pointed out – Luke 14.16-24) find
ourselves OUTSIDE the Church.
Saint Paul
thought it was God Himself who hardened the hearts of the Jews, so that the
Gentiles could come into the Church. I sometimes wonder if the same thing is happening
today with the cradle Orthodox Christians. If our Churches were full, which
they unfortunately are not, there might not be an urgency to reach out and
bring new people into the Church. Jesus said He wanted His Church full, so
maybe He sends some away to make room for more. And if, as Saint Paul suggests,
it is God who does the sending away, then His mercy is sufficient.
Day 28 – Luke 1-7
It never
ceases – my awe of the Holy Scriptures. At this time in my life, age 44, I
guess I have read the entire New Testament more than a couple dozen times,
either from the pulpit during services, or in person as I am for the New
Testament Challenge. YET, each passage STILL reaches me with profound respect.
Take for
example, the opening verses of the Gospel of Luke,
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a
narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who
from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them
to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all
things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent
Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were
instructed. (Luke 1.1-4)
Not only
does he write with complete certainty, but he writes for clarity’s sake. We
know the Gospel of Mark had already been written, and Luke traveled with Saint
Paul, so he was well versed with the Gospel. But being a physician, he desired
for us to have clarity. He must have known that confusion leads to doubt, and
doubt leads to faithlessness, and faithlessness leads to despondency, and
despondency leads to death.
But the
Gospel is for life, eternal life! And I am given new life every time I pick up
the Holy Scriptures. Thank you Saint Luke; and thank you God.
Day 29 – Luke 8-16
Some people
are just hard-headed. No matter how many miracles Jesus performed (and they
witnessed), no matter how many times Jesus revealed their most inner thoughts;
many could not bring themselves to accept Him as the Christ. I think the same
thing happens nowadays. I wonder sometimes what WE would do if we were blessed
to witness the things they witnessed. Jesus taught and healed PUBLICLY in the
Temple and Synagogues and in the marketplaces. Some believed, while others
refused to believe. And why did they not believe?
The only way
for them to accept the Christ was to deny their own comfort and prestige. This
was the basis for the challenge Christ offers,
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and
said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he
cannot be My disciple. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after
Me cannot be My disciple. "For which of you, intending to build a tower,
does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- "lest, after he has laid the foundation,
and is not able to finish, all who see it
begin to mock him, "saying, 'This man began to build and was not
able to finish.' "Or what king, going to make war against another king,
does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to
meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? "Or else, while the
other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of
peace. "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has
cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14.25-33)
So…..do you
believe?
Until tomorrow…..I’m
finally caught up. Tomorrow we finish the Gospel of Luke.
